Birthday Season

Well, we all made it out alive!  Birthday season is over for a short little while around the Darby house!  We will start back up strong in January, though, with all of Owen's little friend's first birthday parties, then his in February! 

Miles' birthday and train party was a success!  I will definitely say that this year's birthday experience was the best yet!  He knew what was going on, loved getting presents, and was so gracious of the gifts he received!  It was so much fun watching him open presents, but even better hearing him tell the gift-giver "thank you" on his own (most of the time!)  We celebrated his actual birthday with a trip to Cracker Barrel for breakfast with the grandparents.  Then Jared's parents came over for supper that night while Papaw and Jared worked on Fort Magnificent {separate post at a later date when I've recovered from the drama of it all}.  His actual bday was on Monday, which meant the party wasn't until the next Saturday.  So by the time the excitement of the day and presents had worn off, we turned around and did it all again!  But his party was so much fun!  We have been blessed with so many sweet friends and our church has got a bajillion kiddos right now- and we're overflowing with BOYS!

Jared's birthday was Friday and we had dinner at our house with my parents and his.  He requested spaghetti and fettuccini alfredo, so I was happy to oblige!  I will admit....I went store bought on all of my ingredients!  I usually do on my spaghetti sauce because I haven't found a homemade one yet that I'm sold on- and I've always loved my Ragu!  And I haven't done alfredo sauce before and, of course, all of the ingredients are t.e.r.r.i.b.l.e. for you-- I'm not really big on butter, so I couldn't imagine myself melting a whole stick of butter and then adding heavy cream, then eating it--- so I figured if I didn't have to see what was going in it, I wouldn't think about it as much???  Surely someone out there understands my logic???  Anyway--- pasta, salad, bread (which I did doctor up myself....didn't use your recipe Heather, but will soon), and birthday cake--- but oh not just any birthday cake- an orange creamsicle cake from Andrea (who also made Miles cake).  I will admit-- it was delish and I'm not really big on "orange"...I'm more of a classic chocolate girl!

The biggest hit around our house this year for gifts has definitely been the introduction to Nerf guns...wow.  I am finding little darts all over the house!  There was a major battle in our house last night after dinner (after Jared received his Nerf gun because Miles got one for his birthday).  Our number one rule is "No shooting Mama", and then "no shooting Owen until he's big enough to defend himself". 


Okay- so sorry there are no pics to go along with this post- there's a little screen on the computer saying that all my space is full????  And I am not a "computer nerd" so I have no idea how to fix this problem.  I dare not try tonight to learn!  So I will get back on here ASAP and show you some pics from our parties! 


Any fun birthday parties you've been to recently?! 

My "Bucket" List

Now...don't worry- I'm not about to list off 100 things I want to do before I die...just about 10 things I want to do before I'm...say...40---how about that?!  I wasn't able to listen in on our team training call on Monday night {late night diaper run before MDO the next day}, but as I was talking with my team mentor and friend, Kristie, she filled me in.  The call was about vision.  Now it was more specifically geared toward vision for your business, but isn't vision in anything a good thing?  I know that the Lord calls us to look Heavenward, so I know that that is my ultimate vision.  But I also know that he wants us to live lives that direct others towards His light and goodness and mercy.  So as I have been thinking about my vision for life- here are a few things I want to do- some fun, some serious, but all in a way that pleases my Savior. 

1. Have more children...biological and adopted.  I don't plan on being the Duggars, much less the Brady Bunch...but I do know that my future holds more children and I look forward to filling our home with them!  So I guess possibly the Brady Bunch (in number of children...not blended- Jared's stuck with me!  Even though I assume Carol and Mike's former spouses died??  Okay...anyway...)

2. Adopt.  I know that this one kind of goes along with #1, but it's so heavy on my heart.  I know that the Lord has a lot of work to do on my heart and Jared's before this will happen, but I am confident that it will.  The Lord laid this desire on my heart while I was in college, and I know that "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to carry it into completion until the day of Christ." {Philippians 1:6}  I have found so many adoption stories and blogs--- it would take me another hour just to list them all here.  So do me a favor---if you are adopting, have adopted, or plan to-- please share your blog or story with me in the comments section.  I'd love to do a post dedicated to all the adoptive families I know-- whether we're BFFs or acquaintances or blog stalkers or old friends from the good ole UU days! 

3.  Be at home FULL-TIME.  Our schedule is nuts around here.  I absolutely LOVE working with the homeschool group I work with- and I can truly see myself continuing to do this once my boys are school age.  But with all the time and energy Jared puts into soccer, it would be so much more beneficial for all of us if I were at home full-time.

that being said....

4. Build my Internet CEO Moms business.  This team has been such a blessing-- moms helping other moms work from home- most of us have the same vision of being a stay-at-home mom.  I think that this is truly the best work-from-home business out there.  There are so many great opportunities--- but this one is definitely the best one that works solely from home without having to do outside parties or take in/buy your own inventory.  The company we work with is great and I know that we would still be members even if I weren't building a business with it!  In fact, only 12% of their customers build a business!  That tells you that 88% of their customers are completely satisfied being just that-- customers!

5.  Take Jared on a trip to Disney World.  He has never been and I went once in the sixth grade.  I know that there are 100 million things to do there- but before we take our kids, I want to take a trip just the two of us!  And he wants to go to Harry Potter World, so I guess I will go along with that one, too!

6.  Go on a mission trip as a family- regularly.  I know my kids are still young now to take a big trip, but, hey- I have til I'm 40 to get this list done!  Plus there are so many opportunities close to home- I don't want my children to grow up thinking that everyone is raised the same way they are.  I feel like my parents did a good job at that with us by letting us participate in different missions opportunities, but you always want to go a step further than you were taken, right?  When I was in high school, I had such a passion for missions.  I thought at one point that that's where the Lord was leading me- full-time career missionary.  Not that I still don't (and not that He still couldn't), but life has happened and my thoughts outside of my "world" have become fuzzier over time.  That takes a lot of pride swallowing to admit, but it's so true.  We have some good friends who are getting ready to move to Vancouver to partner up with a group already there.  I'm so thrilled for them and for their faith that God has led them to this point in their lives!

7.  Now this one may be a little silly...but ORGANIZE ALL MY PICTURES, PRINT THEM OFF, MAKE SOME TYPE OF PHOTO BOOK FOR MY CHILDREN TO HAVE!  I absolutely LOVE looking at mine and Clif's baby pictures!  I need to be better at printing off Miles' and Owen's pictures!  AH!

8.  Now for another silly one--- start and COMPLETE a sewing project.  I have a machine.  I have material.  I have patterns.  Now...just do it.  Right???  I have about 4 or 5 different paint/wood/canvas/chair recovering projects going right now...maybe I'll get them finished and given or hung up {or sat on} around here soon!

9.  Okay...so I guess 8 is all I have right now! 

I encourage you to do something like this...you don't have to blog about it...but I'm not a big journal-er (?), so this was the best way for me to write it out and put it "out there"! 

Adventures in Babyfood Making

As some of you may know, I have ventured out this go 'round with Owen...I have been making his babyfood.  Now, this is a more widely practiced activity than I thought to begin with!  I have a few friends who did it with their kids who are a little older than Owen, and I have a few friends who are doing this now with theirs who are about Owen's age.  My greatest resource has been WholesomeBabyFood, and then just my imagination!  They have recipes for everything under the sun!  I feel like Owen has been exposed to foods he might not have had on tub/jar food.  And I feel like I've been able to give him more finger foods a little earlier because his system is already used to "regular" food????  (But teeth will HAVE to come in for us to move on up in our food adventures!!  The child still doesn't have any!) 

There wasn't any particular reason that I did this, other than I thought it would be fun and I knew of a few friends doing it, too!  I didn't, however, expect Owen to become a "food snob" over it though!  He won't touch the tub/jar food!  So he hasn't had too many greens up until now.  I did start him on some English peas recently as finger foods.  We went out of town in August and I thought I would make it easy on myself and purchase 3 days worth of food---- WRONG.  Owen didn't touch it!  I even bought the good stuff--- not just peas!  So he had a lot of mushed up bananas that weekend!  I've tried getting Miles in on some of the action...sadly- one day I had some pears and peaches (fresh- hadn't been boiled down or baked yet), and I offered Miles some in a cup and told him what it was.  He is so used to the canned stuff that he told me that I had not given him peaches and pears!  So I am slowly introducing Miles to the "real" stuff!  I may try to trick him get him to try some orange applesauce!  {see middle pic below}

Now I haven't been so particular as to make my own oatmeal and biter biscuits and stuff.  Sounds great and I think I'd have fun doing it- because I truly have enjoyed making his food- but there just aren't enough hours in the day!  And so far I have only had one thing not turn out the way I wanted it to--- spaghetti squash.  It was just too stringy and I don't think I cooked it long enough.  I was really grainy.  (And did you know that it's called spaghetti squash for a reason?!)

So-- what was your preference?  If you started with one kid, did you feel like you needed to do it with the rest of your kids?  As I was standing in the kitchen tonight making up food, I was thinking that Owen might be the "favored" child...not sure if I'll do this for the next {hypothetical} kiddo!  I didn't do it for Miles and he turned out to be a great eater!  (Although you wouldn't know it looking at his skinny self!)  Hope doing this doesn't make Owen a picky one! 

What I started with the first time (after he had been introduced to most of these things)-- bananas, acorn squash, avocado, peaches, sweet potatoes, and cucumber.

My products from tonight- blueberry peaches, pears, blueberry pears, carrots, and carrot-applesauce.

The mess...in an "organized" fashion...after I had cleaned up the counters.

"Help!! The Baby's Out!"

Babyproofing.  How much do you do?  Are you super safe?  Bumpers on every piece of furniture, locks on the toilets, finger-smusher proof doors?  Do you just do a few basics?  Cabinet locks, an occassional baby gate? 

I find myself in between.  We have a gate at the top of the stairs- but I hate it.  I mean- I'm glad Miles can't get down (yet) by himself.  But it would just take one climb or extra strong temper tantrum to send it going down the stairs!  The particular gate we have isn't one that you screw into the wall.  We will soon have to get another one for the bottom of the stairs when little mister decides to start crawling!  {{we're safe for now}}

Then in the kitchen, we have cabinet locks, but not everywhere; I wanted Miles to be able to have a cabinet all to himself.  And I tell you what, it has been the source of many imaginative, entertaining himself times that he has had!  That empty cabinet is his office, his tent (with any toy that makes light) and he lets me know when "stuff" ends up in his cabinet!  No fits- everything is just neatly stacked outside of the cabinet (he gets that "neat-stack" thing from his daddy!)

What about your fireplace?  How do you babyproof it?  Ours is open in the wall, with a chain screen (how the house came).  It's not like it gets cold enough here to use our gas logs-- maybe two or three times a year?!  We bought a screen- but it isn't very heavy- which is good and bad...good in that it won't hurt as bad if it fell over, but bad in that it could fall over and it would hurt!  I do wish it had a glass door---so tell me- how do you protect your little one from the fireplace??

But you know?  No matter how much "proofing" we do- baby will still have those accidents!  We had one yesterday- on an unsuspecting object!  Owen is trying so hard to get around.  He had wiggled himself close to the recliner in our room, his arms gave out, and he banged his face into the handle on the chair!  I was right there with him, but it happened so quick!  Do you have any of those type stories, or am I the only one?!  Surely not...oops- gotta go- another tearful bump awaits mama's kiss!!  Share your story with me!

Uh-oh!  Look below his eye- accident #1 of a million more to come, I'm sure!  Poor baby!  And the teething sure doesn't help the fussiness!